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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
There's a reason this was only a short passage in the book
Let me start by saying that Dracula's trip by ship to London is a very inconsequential part of the book described in a very short piece of the novel. There was good reason for that, and this movie proves it. At first I thought well, they are going to make it all about suspense... Not show the creature, make the sailor suspect foul play but have no inkling until the last minute or something like that. After all, it was the only way in which it could be explained that the creature did away with everyone. But no, it is established pretty early on that something is killing them and then, they take almost the whole voyage to do a proper search of the ship, but they do it by night, because yeah, let's do the scary thing at night so we don't see anything and there's more chance to get eaten. Pure idiocy. Don't even get me started on how stupid everyone in the crew is. It's almost like the only too people with any bravery whatsoever are the Romani girl and the black doctor. Why are the crew so dumb? Aren't they seasoned sailor? Whenever I see characters that are so stupid the first thought that comes to mind is that the writers didn't have the skill to make intelligent people because they didn't have the wit to make an even more intelligent adversary. To sum it up, bad writing + absolutely dull plot + wooden acting that fails at its most basic characterizations. A total miss and not worth my time investment.
Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023)
Pretty Entertaining but not as good as the series
Yay! Finally, a continuation of Teen Wolf that allows us to see a bit more of how our favorite pack's lives do go on! I absolutely loved Scott's new profession. It feels like such a wholesome and perfect occupation for him! Same with the rest of the gang, everyone pretty much felt the same but like their best adult version of themselves. Kudos to the writers for managing to keep every character rooted in their essence!
Of course, Stiles was deeply missed! And the new kitsune that came out of the blue really felt like it should have been reprised by /cough someone else... Or at least gotten a little introduction, but apart from that, I loved it.
Now, the bad side of getting everyone a little screen time is that the movie feels overloaded and drawn out. I think some of the characters could have done with appearing a little less, in favor of making the action feel a little more fluid.
I mean, this was a struggle every season of the series, you had the original gang, new people and recurring characters, but over the length of a season they made it work, but here it feels a bit too much.
Like they could have done a mini series of three hour and a half chapters and told an amazing story that really delved into Malia and Deputy Parrish's relationship to name one. Or why Lydia is not screaming as a banshee anymore... Stuff like that, which are sort of mentioned in passing but not really resolved in due time and space.
Apart from that, since most of the characters are now adults, some of the hurried shenanigans make less sense than they did in the series. If they plan on moving forward with more movies or series, I think they'd do better to either leave the original gang as recurring and support characters and focusing on a new generation... Or forgoing some of the already secondary chars, like Peter Hale. Also, bring back Isaac!! Absolutely missed him!
Interview with the Vampire (2022)
Oh boy... What a dissapointment
This is not a series for Anne Rice book fans (or die-hard fans of the original movie which also had some issues, but not as many!). There is much that is really integral to the original characters that is changed from the original works. This might sound trivial but it really ruined it for me. Some of the things changed where part of the DNA of some characters.
For example, Louis was supposed to be the epitome of the era he was born in. This would later result in his conscience determining how he viewed being a vampire, preying on others, and in his romantic views of the world. Since Louis is now a very morally grey and aggressive pimp (instead of a plantation owner suffering from a guilty conscience), and add to that the fact that he has a very physical and sexual relationship with Lestat prior to his change into a vampire (instead of being coerced when he is about to take his last breath) I really don't see how their relationship will ever progress like it does in the novel.
The quality of the series itself is very good though, and some of the casting was very well done. I really loved the actor they chose for Lestat. However, the one that plays Louis can only show anger and rage. He really failed to move me at all, even at very sad moments.
In general I really liked the setting they created, even if it didn't have anything to do with the novel itself. There is a mention of the Mayfair witches in New Orleans, which I found to be a very nice detail to drop in for fans of the series, considering the vampires series and the Mayfair witches come together at one point later in the game.
Oh, I also hated that Louis had already done a previews interview with David, that looks like it ended badly, and where he apparently failed to follow through with his questions. Are they really critiquing the original interview??
The fact that he was staying in Dubai was also very random. Why Dubai? Only because they have the anti sun tinted glasses?
The Imperfects (2022)
A good cross between Alphas and Misfits
Don't really get where are the hate is coming from, I found this show totally binge worthy! The music is on point, the powers are great fun and the acting is totally fine for the type of series this is aiming to be... Something that doesn't take itself too seriously and has lots of plot twists, like a Clue game but with superpowered people and mad science.
What really won me over about this show was the quirky and entertaining characters, good effects and light-but-hooking plots of fringe science.
I mean, Tilda is an amazing character, her dry wit really hooked me from the get go, while Juan and Abbi provided a sweeter and much needed counterpoint for her dark-ish personality. Plus, all the mad scientists doing this and that weird science around them, one step away from wreaking havoc was super fun. Yes, they are not the brightest peas in the pods sometimes, but I guess that is just part of the fun. Like how on Misfits most problems came from the characters itself.
I also really enjoyed a diverse cast done right, with no overall political or woke agenda. Just great characters done right, with diverse upbringings and cultural backgrounds that were intrinsically important to each character. I think anyone that likes mutants (like X-men, the Gifted, Alphas, etc.) will enjoy this show. Can't wait for a second season!
The Batman (2022)
More of the same but worse than previous versions
It almost feels like ppl out there are seeing a different movie than what I just watched. Let me stress out that this movies does not deserve the high ratings some ppl are giving it.
To sum it up: This is a badly done version of the Dark Knight that uses all of the usual tropes to achieve the dark emo gritty feel but utterly fails in its delivery.
One of my main issues with the movies is that Robert Pattison lacks intensity as Batman. When he is donning the suit, it kind of compensates for his lack of physicality, but he is an angsty wet teen boy in his scarce appearances as Bruce Wayne. An irresponsible one it seems, since he is letting Wayne Enterprises kinda hit rock bottom.
Despite other stellar casting (the Penguin is great, Lt Gordon was quite the surprise, I fully ship Albert despite having zero expectations, and Catwoman is also quite good!) the movie has too many twists and turns for my liking. It felt drawn out and overly long.
The music really got me into the depressed, angsty vibe but it felt like the rain and dark corners resource was a bit overused to achieve the gothic look of the city. As I said, the Dark Knight already went and did it all better already.
Another thing that really bothered me was how they tried to slip in some woke messages in between the lines in a world that feels like could have totally done without that. Like that phrase of Selina's when she says she is going to go get some bad evil white old men, or something like that. Felt totally out of place.
Also, all the evil guys are white. Like really? The only two morally good chars are black (because, let's face it Batman is beyond twisted despite trying to do the right thing by Gotham!) like come on... Even Thomas Wayne came out as dirty in the end. Like, really was Alfred the only good white person in Gotham? It all just felt a bit off, really.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Emotional and Epic!
Can't describe how good it was, loved every second of it. This is what I expected after Superman, this is the real deal!
It completely succeeds in portraying the struggle, the emotions behind the action. Everyone was more invested, playing all the cards they had. I simply loved it.
Completely recommend it! The photography is spectacular and the epic gothic winks here and there like the Paris statues or Gotham's gargoyles were superb. Also showing the characters in their life as they moved on was amazing. Diana in the museum, Barry applying for a job and so on. Truly a masterpiece!
Mulan (2020)
They tried to make it more realistic, only ended up killing all the fun.
If the idea behind Mulan 2020 was to make a more realistic and modern take, they failed horribly. They took out so many things of made the original good, that the movie is simply something else. It gave me no sense of nostalgia, no scenes were taken literally, not even the music! Nothing like how fun Aladdin was.
For starters there is no way a woman could hide her period in those times. She was sleeping for months inside a tent with all the other soldiers. What would she do with the soiled cloth? Where would she procure more? How would she avoid getting soiled mid training? Really, there was no need to be such a stickler to things being realistic, because the story simply can't be told that way.
By taking out the songs that said a lot about the characters throughout the movie and the fun that Mushu provided, they killed many of the scenes that really brought secondary characters into light and helped develop them. The trial she overcame in the cartoon movie required thinking, using her smarts and her newfound strength. How did she do it here? Concentrating her chi? Utter nonsense. Also, Mushu and Cricket saved her from many close calls. It made sense that she would need help hiding her identity.
Why did they cheapen her love story? Her relationship growing throughout the movie was so important, and the fact that he was her officer was important as well! Where they afraid it was feminist enough? That her love interest was in a position of power above her looked bad for the press?
The role of the witch felt like ti was there simply because there weren't enough relevant women. And since she couldn't be evil, she had to be a subjugated, misunderstood, powerful woman that in the end died for Mulan because she had triumphed where the elder woman had failed. Oh, come on! Why not make Mushu a female phoenix? Would have made more sense!
Anyhow, it has a few touching moments, but felt overall like a bad press movement trying to update a story that worked to make it fit into a modern narrative and destroying its essence in the process.
The Witcher (2019)
So far, a great fantasy series
Great care has been taken to be as truthful to the books as possible. Details are well done, ranging from having the Witcher pick up a few herbs here and there to the fact that the series ( which follows three story lines set in different times) is connected by details and characters at different times in their lives, rather than paste a pesky 20 years back or so title on the screen. This is quite masterfully done. Casting for me was amazing, until they showed Triss Merigold. Why turn one of the few redhead characters out there to someone so different? I understand the need to diversify characters and in the case of Yennefer the casting works out wonderfully, even though she is not a carbon copy of the Yennefer described in the books or played in the games. So, what happened with Triss? Her last name, comes from her red hair, how do you even fix that? Huge blunder, and truly ruins the mood for fans that have even the tiniest knowledge of the Witcher universe, be that from the books or the games. Her eyes are described a thousand times as a piercing green that reaches your soul. Contacts? Anything? Couldn't they find someone that was mixed race and a bit more striking and added contacts? Well, I couldn't be more disappointed. Another major drawback is how well maintained Geralt's armor is. Scratch it up, toss it in the mud, stain it somewhat. guy doesn't take to the cleaners after each kill! Overall costumes are amazing, specially the mages. However, even taking Triss' casting and the cleanliness of Geralt's armor into account, I'd say that this is a great series. With fantastic effects, great fight scenes, cool monsters, awesome dialogues and overall great acting. Can't wait for more from Netflix, and to keep the seasons coming!
The Room (2019)
When characters are brainless, horror ensues
What would you do if you found a house with a room that can create anything in the world you desire? If you are a logical meticulous person, things would go as follow... Step 1. Discover the parameters of how it works: What it can create, if it can be brought outside, if it gets destroyed outside the room, how long does it last and what happens if you create things that have an online presence? Can you create a pendrive with next year's best seller? Can you create a new room in the house? These are just a few essential things you would have to know. Step 2. Live your best life, work to survive... because unless you can create diamonds that last outside the house and sell them, it is not an income source and you need to eat. Step 3. Decorate your house, create a ps4, dunno, things that enable you to do things and that you don't need to bring outside your home. Because for as long as you keep them inside, they will last forever. Step 4. Have a family, create millions of millions of dollars and hopefully, when you die, those will become real for your heirs or something (if we apply what they said in the movie and the creator's death makes someone created in the house survive outside, maybe objects will survive too).
Now, if you are a stupid person, create something that lives, even worse, create a person and things will go down like the movie. Ruin your life, your marriage and maybe leave you with huge issues for the future. The best way to thwart what could have been an awesome life full of trips to the ocean, to the forest and who knows where at your finger tips is indeed, to make it a living hell all on your own. Regarding the movie, acting was good, no problem there. Writing was lazy and the plot had more holes than a net. :/